So, what is your take on the Herbalife/Cold Fusion protein shake phenomenon? Do they work? Do they work long-term? Are they safe

Are supplemental shakes healthy? In a word? No. Not in my book.

Don’t believe the hype! Any kind of supplements should only be used as a last resort, if your doctor recommends them, and if they’re 100% safe. Unfortunately, I can’t say that about Herbalife. Check out this excerpt from Wikipedia :

Scientific studies in 2007 by doctors at the University Hospital of Bern in Switzerland and the Liver Unit of the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center in Israel found an association between consumption of Herbalife products and hepatitis.

[…]

In May 2008 the Fraud Discovery Institute, which claims to be a consumer watchdog organisation, reported that laboratory test results of Herbalife products showed lead levels in excess of limits established by law in California 

[…]

On 10 May 2008 a suit was filed on behalf of a woman who developed lead-related liver complaints that she claimed were a reaction to a combination of Herbalife products.

Even if those claims aren’t completely true, it’s enough to make me stay away for good. Do you really know what’s in those products?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Get your vitamins and nutrients from whole food whenever possible. Use pills/shakes/etc. with extreme caution, and be skeptical of any grand health claims!